These little creatures appear after the first good rains in December. The largest they get is about 1cm fat and they shine like red velvet in the sunlight, some birds eat them. They're known locally as "Christmas Spiders", maybe because they're first seen just before Christmas, or maybe because they look like miniature Santas in their furry red suits. They're not real spiders though, I can only count six legs and two "feelers". They don't bite when handled.
I don't know the difference between a grasshopper and a locust, if it's a matter of size then this colorful creature is definitely a locust, about 8cm long. I've only ever seen one specimen like this.
I've named this an "AWACS Bug" because it resembles the spy plane, I don't know what it's called and I don't have any insect books to research it. What's in a name anyway, it's still pretty hey?
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Very nice pics! I gonna link it! :D
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